LONDON — Brits would like the Democrats to triumph in the U.S. midterms and believe a Republican win would be riskier for the world, according to a new POLITICO poll. A survey by pollster PF Global found that 40% of Britons would rather the Democrats win control of Congress in U.S. elections on Tuesday, compared to just 15% preferring the Republicans. Even among Reform UK supporters — the right-wing party led by Donald Trump ally Nigel Farage — only 27% want a Republican win compared to 21% for the Democrats.
Brits see a Republican hold as a riskier result for the world, with a third expecting global affairs to get more chaotic if the U.S. president’s party controls Congress, compared to 17% who believe it will be less chaotic. Trump has long been unpopular with the British public, with 55% believing his presidency has been bad for the U.K. compared to 17% who think it’s been good. His administration is slightly more popular with Reform supporters — but 38% still view it negatively, compared to 27% who regard it positively.
Brits see a raft of other nations and blocs as more reliable partners than the U.S., the PF Global survey suggests. Only 35% trust the U.S. to act as a reliable ally to the U.K. — a far lower figure than for Australia (66%), Canada (65%), Germany (54%), the European Union (53%) and France (50%). Of the seven options given, those surveyed only saw China as a less trusted partner than the U.S.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s push for a closer relationship with the EU appears to also have public support. The survey suggests more than half the British public (54%) back prioritizing strengthening relations with the EU over Commonwealth countries (46%) and the U.S. (29%). Burnham traveled to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in the Caribbean on Monday as he seeks to build greater economic cooperation with the 56-strong association of countries — most of which are former territories of the British Empire.
Only Reform supporters put strengthening U.S. relations at the top of their list (52%) compared to 48% for Commonwealth countries and 34% for the EU. Seb Wride, head of polling at PF Global, said: “President Trump has rapidly reshaped the transatlantic relationship. Brits see their traditional ally as less reliable, and that is pushing them to explore other alliances.
A blue wave might be enough for some Brits to feel Trump got what he deserved. But repairing the special relationship is a much bigger ask of a midterm election that few Brits are watching closely.” Indeed, just 22% said they’ve heard a lot about the midterms, compared to 40% who had heard a lot about England footballer captain Harry Kane winning the prestigious Ballon d’Or trophy for the best-performing footballer. PF Global polled 2,038 U.K. adults between Oct. 28 and Nov. 2, 2026.
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